Former Manchester City and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Touré has named Nigeria’s Super Eagles as the most impressive team at the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Eagles, under the guidance of Eric Chelle, enjoyed a strong and largely dominant campaign, going unbeaten for most of the tournament before suffering a heartbreaking semi-final defeat to hosts Morocco, who edged them 4–2 on penalties. Nigeria scored 14 goals and conceded just four, before securing third place with a penalty shootout victory over Egypt.
Speaking in an interview with Bleacher Report Football on Monday, Touré, a four-time African Footballer of the Year winner, reflected on the tournament and praised several teams for their performances. He singled out Algeria and host nation Morocco for their tactical discipline and style of play.
The former Barcelona midfielder, now an assistant coach in Saudi Arabia, described Morocco as a side that played with purpose and efficiency, noting their direct and pragmatic approach despite losing the final to Senegal.
“I’ve been watching AFCON closely and I’ve also been part of it. I was impressed by Algeria, though they were unfortunately eliminated by Nigeria. I was also impressed by Morocco under their coach, very pragmatic, very direct, and strong on the counterattack,” Touré said.
However, Touré made it clear that Nigeria stood out above the rest at the biennial tournament.
“I was really impressed with Nigeria. They played very good football. If you look at the statistics, they scored more goals than usual, played with full attacking intent, and produced exciting football. For me, Nigeria were the most impressive team. The football they played, the goals they scored, and the quality of players they have — including two of the best African players — made them special. They played wonderful games before being knocked out by Morocco in the semi-finals,” he added.
Touré also commended Congo and his native Ivory Coast, although he noted that both teams showed signs of inexperience.
“Congo were also good; I liked their style. They were doing well before being eliminated by Algeria. Ivory Coast had a young team, sometimes a bit naive, but that’s part of football and learning,” he concluded.
